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‘Callum?’ Callum had been Nikki’s last boyfriend. Very nice, but so dull no one had ever been able to remember his name, so he’d been nicknamed Whatshisname. He was a physics teacher at the college, and when he’d got a new job as head of science for a school in Cheltenham, neither he nor Nikki had suggested a long-distance relationship. And somehow she’d never dipped her toe back into the dating scene.
She valued her independence and didn’t want a massive commitment, yet there was something unfulfilling about a fling. She no longer had any appetite for brief encounters. Besides, there weren’t many candidates in Speedwell. She knew everyone that lived there, and she wasn’t inclined to have a dalliance with any of the holidaymakers that descended each summer. She didn’t want to be relegated to a fleeting memory; a sun-drenched, booze-fuelled conquest to be forgotten as quickly as the sunburn faded.
She could, of course, expand her horizons. There were other people further afield, and one of them might be perfect for her. But she never seemed to have time to look, between the business and the lifeboat and now the renovation.
And what was so wrong with being single anyway? Why was the world so obsessed with putting people into pairs? Nikki was quite content to be on her own. She was never bored. And apart from anything else, she had got so used to stretching out in her luxurious queen-sized bed, she couldn’t imagine sharing it with anyone.
Juno began stacking the plates and glasses.
‘I’ll wash these and take them back,’ she said. ‘And make sure he knows I’ll have Gatsby any time he likes.’
Because she was adamant about being happy with her single status, Nikki was surprised to find herself mildly vexed that now she wouldn’t get the chance to speak to Adam herself. It would have been the ideal opportunity to ask him to be her plus one to the opening of Salicia. It would be the perfect thank you for the burritos.
‘No,’ she said. ‘Leave them there. I’ll take them back.’
‘Oh yeah?’ said Juno, smirking. ‘Not interested, eh?’
Nikki stuck out her tongue at her niece, but she couldn’t help smiling.
24
On Monday morning, Nikki woke just after daybreak. She had left her curtains open now the weather was getting better, for she loved the moment when a pale blue light began to creep into the bedroom, waking her gradually, preferring that to the shrill intervention of an alarm. Besides, the birds provided their own wake-up call. Sometimes she couldn’t believe how loud the dawn chorus was. No one could hope to sleep through it. She lay there for a moment, listening to every trill and chirrup, taking her energy from their uplifting chatter.
Mondays were usually her day off, as she inevitably worked weekends, but today she wanted to crack on with sanding the floorboards so they could be finished at the same time as the kitchen. Then she could start painting and move everything in properly.
She decided she was going to have to get up at five from now on to fit everything into her life. If she went to bed by ten, she could still get a decent amount of sleep. It was the only way she was going to survive: wedding season was always insane, and to throw building work into the mix was even more insane. It didn’t have to be for ever, she reasoned. The madness would be over by autumn. Although autumn weddings were becoming a thing – September and October were pretty full already. She could draw breath in November, when she was due to go to Bali to visit Bill. It seemed a lifetime away. But at least there no one could send her threatening postcards. She still couldn’t work out who could possibly be behind them or what their motive might be. Despite Woody’s reassurance, she felt exposed and more than a little anxious, but there was nothing she could do except get on with life.
She rolled out of bed, ready to prepare the house for the arrival of her renovation team now the kitchen had been gutted, making lists of what she might need to buy and reconsidering every decision to make sure it was the right one. Jason and Mike were golden, but she still had to oversee everything. She wasn’t micro-managing: she was the one who had to live here so she wanted everything to her specification, and no workman appreciated being asked to move something – a plug, a switch, a light-fitting – after the event.
She spent the day on her knees with the sander. The floor was going to be beautiful: pale golden wood that she would cover with a light wax. By five, Jason and Mike had gone – they liked to start and finish early so they could be propping up the bar at the Neptune by six – so she jumped into the shower then put on her jeans and a white linen shirt that she’d brought back from Mariners, conscious that she was trying to dress down but at the same time look … what? Alluring? Hot? Or just presentable? She ruffled up her damp hair, put on the merest hint of mascara and briefly checked her reflection in the cheval mirror she’d got out of storage.
She couldn’t quite look herself in the eye for she knew what she was up to. You’re just taking back his stuff, she reminded herself, as she grabbed Adam’s tray, headed out of the front door and round to his before she had second thoughts.
She had to admit it was kind of fun, feeling the light buzz of anticipation and caring what she looked like just a little bit more than usual. She’d even put on decent underwear – not that she had any fantasies about things going that far, but somehow it made her feel better about herself, to have on a matching bra and knickers that weren’t grey from over-washing.
Adam smiled as he answered the door. ‘Hey.’
‘I’ve brought your things back.’ She held out the tray with the plates and glasses.
‘That’s perfect timing,’ he said. ‘I wondered if I could pick your brains?’
‘Of course.’
‘I need a bit of local knowledge.’
‘Sure.’
‘I’d be really grateful. I could give you a bowl of pasta in return?’
‘I already owe you gimlets and burritos.’
‘I’m not counting.’
‘I’ll reciprocate when I’ve actually got a kitchen. It shouldn’t be long – Mike and Jason reckon they’ll have it in by the end of the week.’
He gave her an easy smile.
‘Hey. No rush. I told you; I love having someone to cook for. Come on in.’
